Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Somalia instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 63.6% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 14.9% of people as of 2024.
be 49.1% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 19.9 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
see 99.6% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Somalia spends $52 as of 2023.
have 68.6% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Somalia scores 27 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Somalia, that number is 18.9% as of 2025.
make 99.3% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Somalia, the GDP per capita is $661 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.0 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Somalia, there are 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 33.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Somalia, 563.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.9 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Somalia, on the other hand, 65.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In United States, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 50% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 24% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 70.5% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Somalia, about 27.9% do as of 2024.
be 24.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In United States, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 75% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 77.6% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 84.8% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Somalia, that number is 3,025 km.
Safety
be 42.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Somalia, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 12.9% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Somalia withdraws 25% as of 2022.
find 98.1% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Somalia has 0.7 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 99.6% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Somalia, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Somalia
Somalia: At a glance
How big is Somalia compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.